Just Like the Movies
by springshowers
Summary: Lizzie always wanted the large orchestral music playing behind the climatic kiss at the end of her own love story, but is she in for a rude awakening? Maybe LG. Kind of slow in the beginning, but plot will pick up soon!
1. Introduction

i'm not a big writer, so forgive me if this story comes out a little on the.. well bad side.  
  
Reviews and Comments appreciated! even bad ones  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.INTRO.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Tears streamed down the smooth cheek of Lizzie McGuire, while her mother embraced her and rocked her back and forth. Her thoughts turned on past memories and thought how she could've been so blind as to not have realized it before. But just one thing came to mind through what her father just told her - 'Why?'.  
  
Why did he have to go and ruin a perfectly good friendship? Why did everything had to change?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
It;s really really short i know. But its the intro for a reason. And be careful things aren't always as they seem =) 


	2. Chapter 2

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 2 - Unexpected Love.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Nervously, David Gordon paced back and forth around his room. Overthinking, once again.   
  
"Was this really that great an idea? What if..." He spoke to himself as he trailed off to another possible fallout of his decision. He finally decided that being contained to his room wasn't gonna do him any good. With that he grabbed his coat and almost ran out the door, to be perfectly alone with all of his 'what if's'.  
  
He sauntered around the neighborhood to clear his mind, which was boarderline impossible, but he decided it was better than standing around his house.   
  
He eventually found his way to the swing set he and Lizzie used to play when they were little. He reached for the much too small swing and just sat. He fidgeted in the uncomfortable seat and stared at the ground. He stared as if the ground had some answer to the questions that were whirling through his mind, or at the very least swallow him up.  
  
'She will understand,' he reasoned. 'She has to realize how much thought I put in this. It's not like I CHOSE to become madly, head-over-heals in love with my best friend, or that I CHOSE to lose sleep just endlessly thinking about the way she said my name in English class, or how the scent of her lip gloss is permantantly engrained in my brain.'  
  
While he was continued on his speechless soliloquy, another particular someone was also contemplating.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
"AHHHHHHHH!"  
  
Lizzie's scream was muffled by her soft pillow, now slightly damp from her tears. She had calmed down a little by now (an hour or two after the previous chapter). She had calmed down so much she could now reason.  
  
'I mean Gordo isn't the kind of guy to rush into these things. He organized his t-shirts into colors, for goodness sakes! So why is it ME? It doesn't make any sense!!'   
  
Little did she know it made all too much sense for Gordo. What she didn't know was Gordo made a secret list of all the things he wanted in a woman. He scrutinized and agonized over this list and over time while his feelings grew for Ms. McGuire, the more he came to realize how much she fit all of qualities on the list.   
  
So she lay on her bed, hands behind her head drifting away just replaying what happened just a while ago.  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
"Honey," Mr. McGuire started,"well I had an interesting conversation with Gordo yesterday. Well, he seems to... uhm well..."  
  
"WHAT IS IT!?" Lizzie inadvertently spat out.  
  
"Well, Gordo asked me yesterday if he could have my permission to ask you out. And well apparently he loves you."  
  
She sat dumbfounded and numb. And then that's when the tears started to fall...  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
She wasn't exactly sure why she responded the way she did. I mean it wasn't like he was Joseph Stalin. He's Gordo, my friend, my compadre, mi amigo. Not Gordo, my boyfriend and love of my life. (A/N: that made no sense to me but i decided to put it in hehe)  
  
Just then she spoke, but not to anyone in particular. Most likely to the cosmos or whatever governing forces brought about the current strange chain of events that happened.  
  
"If it's meant to be, then so be it, but PLEASE PLEASE don't let it be with Gordo."  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
HAHAHA! bet you didn't expect THAt did ya?? haha maybe you did and if you did, muchos kudos to you! 


	3. Chapter 3

Remember folks: review, review, review! That's the only way I can improve.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 3 - The Talk, Sort of.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Time seemed to pass Gordo. His semi-hypnotic stage was shattered by the sound of a laughter that faintly reminded him of a squirrel, if it were laughing of course. He looked behind him only to find a certain blonde and her friend parading themselves in his direction. He winced slightly when the same high-pitched squealing started again.  
  
"AHHHH! That expression on his face was just priceless! Man, the wonders a little mud is priceless..."  
  
He rolled his eyes as they passed. Kate acknowledged his existence on a child swing with a expressionless look in the eyes.   
  
"Hey Claire, go on, I'll be right there." With a smug look, Claire sashayed away. Then Kate turned her focus onto Gordo. At the moment, he was expecting some sort of Kate-like tongue lashing that only girls like Lizzie would consider remotely hurtful, but to his surprise she merely sat herself on the swing.  
  
"Look Gordo, I don't have much time.."  
  
"Of course you don't, you're too busy with thinking up new ways to insult people and find even more ways to make your..."  
  
"Just shut up for once. Geez, defensive much?" Gordo was stopped in his tracks. 'Did Kate the Queen-of-mean just say one complete sentence without the usual backtone of hate and disgust?' She continued.   
  
"You have to be the most stupid or frightened person in the world. It is so obvious to everybody in the world that you like Lizzie. And yet year after year you continue to dumbfound everyone with your lack of action. A girl is only gonna wait so long for her 'Prince Charming'. So get a move on, do some vintage-Gordo, romantic gesture and make it known how you feel." He was about to inform her that he did do something to 'make known how he feels' but decided there was no point in it. She continued still," So get this whole pathetic 'we're just friends' charade over so people will stop obsessing over it and start focusing more on me. Okay?"  
  
No answer.  
  
She nodded slightly and stared off into the distance. Within moments she stood up and brushed off her skirt and began walking again. By some stroke of fate, another blonde came toward the same direction Kate was leaving. When the two blondes passed each other, Kate looked over her shoulder to find Gordo and Lizzie sitting side by side, silently. With a slight mental shake of her head, she was off.  
  
"What was that about?" Lizzie asked to break the ice.  
  
"I'm not quite sure, just Kate being herself." He lied. Lizzie nodded.  
  
"Well, we can't just avoid this forever, you know."  
  
"Yeah, I know." He pithily answered. By now his hands were shoved in his pockets to help dry his clammy hands and his heart was racing out of control, but he was sure to make sure Lizzie couldn't tell.  
  
"So, I have to say this before things get too out of control. Gordo, you are the best friend someone can have and any girl would be lucky to have you as a boyfriend, but there are just some things that are out of my control. I can't control who I like and my feelings are just.. I dunno."  
  
"I think I get it," Gordo said soberly "but can you just think about it some more? It's only been less than a day."  
  
"Sure Gordo, but I dont think I'm gonna change my mind. It's not really something that is gonna change over another night of sleep."  
  
"Just think about it, k?"  
  
"K."  
  
"You want me to walk you home then?"  
  
"No I think I'll be alright."  
  
"Okay then, I'll see you in a couple days. You know, I got that family... uh thing tomorrow so I have to pack and..." he stopped when he looked over to see that she was strangely quiet.  
  
"Yeah I know, Gordo. Well good night and have a great trip." Then she left.  
  
Gordo still thought he had a chance. With that faint glimmer of hope, he smirked to himself and walked home with the musty, twilight summer breeze against his face.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
  
  
A slightly longer chapter.. but I still need title suggestions!!  
  
~Springshowers 


	4. Chapter 4

Just some background knowledge, all the past chapters all happened in late summer before sophmore year. Just for writing purposes the characters seem to be in the same places they were during the show. Meaning some are still naive, some are still mean, and others are still desperately in love. And I didn't add Miranda's character in here, just because im not THAT gifted a writer to add her in =) even though she's one of the bestest characters.  
  
Well anyways, thanks for the reviews and I hope you like this chappie!  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 4 - True Love Doesn't Exist.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
(A couple weeks after Gordo returned from his trip)  
  
The first bell rung with seemingly no effect on the students crowding in the hallways. Catching up on their first day of school outfits and all information on over-the-summer happenings. Lizzie quickly grabbed her first and second period materials and hurried her way towards homeroom. Watching from afar was Gordo. He stood deadlocked in one spot just watching the way her hair swayed from side to side while she rushed to her class, much to the dismay of the short redheaded freshman behind him. She passed with a over-exasperated sigh, while other more experienced students nodded to themselves knowingly.  
  
It's been a couple weeks since Gordo returned and even longer since they had a real conversation. Whoever said communication was the core of a relationship couldn't have been more right.   
  
After their last talk, each walked away with totally different viewpoints. Lizzie thought she made it perfectly clear there was no chance of any boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, while Gordo thought it was a 'maybe'. Each expected the other to make the first move. The longer they went without talking, the harder it was to start talking again. If only they had talked longer...  
  
Gordo made it to homeroom on time. The day whizzed by without much thought and before he knew it the final bell rung, but didn't leave school because three times a week he tudors some elementary school kids.  
  
By the time his tudoring session ended, he had been temporarily distracted from Lizzie. He traversed the empty, silent hallways on his way to his locker, listening to his footsteps echo. On his way, he saw a certain someone. With his curiosity piqued, he approached her.  
  
At a loss at what to say, he just stood there just a couple feet from her. For a couple seconds it went unnoticed until she turned her head and stared at him blankly.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she said with a touch of scorn in her voice.  
  
"I just wanted to ask, why did you give me advice the other day? It just doesn't seem like you at all. And why do you even care about anything going on with me and Lizzie?"  
  
Kate sighed. "I don't believe true love exists. Prove me wrong."  
  
With that she spun on her heel with her bookbag slung over her shoulder and her cheerleading outfit in a bag next to her. Slightly confused, Gordo grabbed his books and walked home.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Er. This chapter wasn't the greatest but this story isnt that long to begin with, so i'm just gonna stretch out the events to make it longer. the next chapter will pretty much be Lizzie's point of view and probably as short as this. The good news(or so i would like to think) is that chapters will come out on a pretty good pace.  
  
Any questions or comments are gladly received. 


	5. Chapter 5

no reviews *cries*   
  
Wow my last chapters turned out a lot more depressing and angsty then I originally planned, which is ironic is a way. the whole story sprung from an anecdote i read a while back in the book "Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship" by Joshua harris and its very spiritually based. If anyone in interested in it, you should pick it up. I feel slightly guilty in taking out spiritual part.  
  
I'm torn.. Should i ruin the story and say what the couple would be at the end... like L/___!! G/____!! READ READ READ! apparently what i'm doing now isnt working.  
  
So tell me what you think...  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 5 - Lovers' Walk.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
A overly dramatic sigh escaped, again. She's been doing a lot of that lately.   
  
'Why is this so complicated? Is it really that complex? Why can't two people who have known each other their whole lives make a simple friendship work? Is having just a friendship with a guy really impossible without it becoming more?' she thought. She looked down at her blank paper; then at the four textbooks stuffed with handouts sitting by her door. Sigh.  
  
Normally Lizzie would just speed dial Gordo and ask for help on her geometry homework, a title for her English essay, or how exactly Mr. O'Connor could keep his hideous hairpiece on his head when he sneezes. Sigh.   
  
"You know what," she stated matter-of-factly to nobody in particular "this isn't worth it."   
  
She promptly picked up her clear purple phone and started to dial. Started. "What am I supposed to say now? 'Oh Gordo I missed your help on homework, please forget everything we've been through and tell me the answers for my geometry homework.' I can't."  
  
Pride? Fear? Uncomfortableness? She wasn't sure which it was, but whatever it was it was powerful enough to keep her from talking to her friend for almost a month.  
  
'If this is way too hard, maybe we weren't meant to be together, as friends or otherwise. He should move on and get a girl where he would get his feelings returned."  
  
She looked out her window to see the sunset. She still has some time before it gets dark. Another walk is called for. And plus, she has the rest of the weekend to do her homework.  
  
She grabbed her CD player, her favorite mix, and her sneakers. She then grabbed her light jacket and passed the load of work next to her door. She needed her place.   
  
Her place. A small corner of a large reservoir/lake in a sea of beautiful, stately trees whose breath-taking, autumn colors are so close that local residents claim you can breath them in. She has her rock to stare out at the calm water and watch the geese and ducks being fed by little children and their parents across the lake. All it was was a large rock, perfect for sitting, and bushes enclosing it on three sides and the other side being the water.   
  
Despite being about a mile or two away, she would always go whenever her life had gone slightly awry. Fights with Miranda and Gordo frequently led her here. Petty fights that are often forgotten within a week's time.  
  
Sometimes in the past, she would leave her rock and she would watch the people pass by from a bench. Some of them walking around with their dogs; some others playing with their children; some skaters and bikers. The people she likes to watch the most are the newlyweds and young couples. She actually witnessed a proposal. She was close to tears, despite the fact she never met them. She could always tell when a couple was in love and how far they were along in their relationship. (A/N: cough*irony*cough haha)  
  
She loved watching the lovers pace around the lake's beaten track. She loved romance. She loved the classic Disney princesses, and the romantic-comedies, but something about the couples in the park hit more at home. They are more real. They don't have overly-dramatic romances like the ones in the movie. They bickered occassionally, talk about where they want to go after their walk, and how the local teams are doing. Not ever conversation was a long romantic platitude professing undying love. But you could tell the affection they shared.  
  
'I need that.' she said to herself, sitting at her favorite rock. She could almost picture Miranda screaming in her ear, "Then get off your bum and get someone! Stop being lazy and go!" Lizzie smirked.  
  
"She's right," She began to say to herself outloud, "I need initiative, or at least have a clue about what I'm gonna do." She prompted patted her pockets for anything she could write on. Alas! She fould something. An old receipt from the Digital Bean and a small pencil she took from the mini-golf place in her back pocket. She read somewhere that whenever you have a goal you want to reach, you should write it down.  
  
She tapped the end of the pencil against her lip to think what she should write first.  
  
'#1. Be on at least speaking terms with Gordo.' She scribbled down. Being overcome with stress by this whole Gordo situation couldn't be good for her. Loose ends had to be tied. Just when she finished she noticed a skipping rock strangely close to her.   
  
She pushed aside some branches of the bushes that separated her and whoever was on the other side. She peered through avoiding thorns on some of the branches. More skipping rocks.  
  
She saw a boy.  
  
Suddenly, she retreated back to her rock and scribbled down #2.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
*GASP* Who can it be?! *evil grin*  
  
Review! 


	6. Chapter 6

I'm feeling very romantic right now. Partly because i just watched the sweetest little video about lizzie and gordo. If you want to check it out, the author/director is Kimberline. I thought it was nice.  
  
VinSinFlor: Thanks a bunch for review! I totally understand about the uncomfortableness that comes with a close friend telling you that he likes you. So i tried to incorporate a little bit of "realness" into that. If your best friend told you he liked you, would you be really that eager to go for him too? and btw, you can breathe a sigh of relief: it's not Ethan. haha  
  
I have a confession to make. I really don't know what #2 is yet. not a clue... that's pretty bad.  
  
random question: does anyone know the driving age for california?  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 6.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
(earlier in the day)  
  
Gordo hustled back into the musty-smelling locker room. He had just completed another eighth period gym class. He changed into back into his clothes, grabbed his bookbag from his gym locker and hurried out of the locker room. Something about being half-naked in a room with 20 other sweaty guys made him slightly uneasy.  
  
Half way out the main office door, he realized he had to bring his gym clothes home from school, but instead of leaving them like any other highschooler would, he rushed back. Just in time for varsity cheerleading practice in the gym.  
  
Passing the girl's side of the gym, he couldn't help but be just a tad curious. The doors were opened so all he did was stand out of view next to the open door. And happened to overhear a certain conversation.  
  
The two girls let out a few muffled giggles.  
  
"Yeah, it's a REAL shame. Especially for it to happen to someone SOOO incredibly nice." the cheerleader half-whispered-half-giggled out again.  
  
"Yeah, well if we're lucky she'll be so broken up about it that maybe she can quit cheerleading and give the rest of us something actually to do besides clap our hands." the second cheerleader hoped.  
  
"Amen. At least now we know where Kate gets her slutty ways now." Giggles.  
  
"You know I hear it was Kate's mom's FIFTH marriage."  
  
Suddenly, it all made sense.  
  
* * * * *  
  
She removed the headsets from her ears and stuffed the crumpled receipt and pencil into her back pocket. With a little trouble she left her spot from behind. She saw him from behind, skipping another rock.  
  
'Here goes nothing.' Lizzie went down there, slightly nervous. She stood there, behind him, about as awkward as a person could be. He seemed to notice, but didn't turn around. She took another step forward. The crunching of the gravel and sand beneath her sneakers seemed to catch his attention.   
  
"Hey." she said out of the blue. He turned around. He had fairly long, brown hair which stopped at the bottom of his neck, dark eyes, and a slight build. 'He doesn't seem to mind how he looked too much.' Lizzie thought to herself, noticing his unstyled hair and slightly wrinkled shirt.  
  
He nodded as if to say hi. 'I guess speaking is above him.'  
  
"I haven't seen you around before. what's your name?" she said scrambling for something to say.  
  
"Jeremy." he answered, without much emotion. He seemed to have taken a small break from skipping rocks.  
  
"Alas he speaks." she spoke out accidently. They were now side by side, facing to water. He let out a small hint of a laugh.  
  
"Yeah sorry 'bout that. I just moved here from San Deigo and... well yeah. Anyways, I just kinda miss it." He smiled and looked into her eyes for a moment. He seemed to have gotten a little frazzled from direct eye contact. 'Wow! he's so adorable when he smiles!'   
  
"Wow, I love San Deigo." She stated. She was happy they had something to talk about... finally.  
  
"You've been there?"  
  
"Me and my family go there every summer for a week. We stay at our Grandparent's timeshare and it's right by the beach. So you're goin' to Hillrdge High?" she continued, trying her best to keep her voice calm yet feeling her pulse get a little faster.  
  
"Yeah seems that way." He skipped another rock.  
  
"Mind if I join you?" She asked, referring to the rock skipping.  
  
"Sure. Knock yourself out." She bent down to search for a suitable rock. "Hey, I never got your name."  
  
She found a nice flat stone and slung it across the top of the water. She then watched it skip and twirl over the water five consecutive times. She waited a beat, making sure to stay "cool".  
  
"Lizzie." They exchanged glances and smiled simultaneously.  
  
* * * * *  
  
(Meanwhile...)  
  
Gordo ransacked his normally clean room to the point where only scanty clusters of his carpet were visible. Books, folders, and even his bed covers were thrown from their appointed spots.  
  
"Come on, come on where is it.." He half-asked to himself. He rummaged through old clothes in the top shelf of his dark closet until he came upon it. He carefully lifted the old dusty show box; his heart swelled up with old memories and dare he say it-love.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie came home about a half hour later floating on air. As she approached her house, she noticed her father digging, or rather filling, a hole around a newly planted tree. It was a young suckling of a tree, probably no taller than four feet.   
  
"Hey honey." He said looking up from his labor.  
  
"Hi dad." she sighed wistfully.  
  
"Have a nice walk?" He asked questioningly, watching his daughter stare dreamily in the picturesque dusk sky.  
  
"MmmHmm.. I'm gonna go upstairs and call Miranda."  
  
"Okay honey. Dinner's almost done, so don't take too long." Lizzie nearly skipped to the door, just barely listening to her father. Sam shook his head casually in dismay and mild frustration. "Why does he even bother?" he sighed at the sight of an obviously love-struck Lizzie.  
  
* * * * *  
  
*Ring ring*  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Miranda!!!" Lizzie screamed into her phone.  
  
"Lizzie, could you PLEASE speak up a little, I don't think my ear drum has fully exploded yet." Miranda said, a little too seriously.  
  
"Oh har har. I have some news."  
  
"Oh this is a toughy. Let me guess- it's a guy."  
  
"Oh touchy touchy today, Miranda. As a matter of fact, it isn't just a 'guy'," Lizzie cleared up emphasizing the word 'guy', "It's... love. Okay maybe not LOVE, but at the very least my chance at happiness."  
  
"Ooooooh!" Miranda exclaimed, with the enthusiasm Lizzie expected, "What's his name??"  
  
Preceded by her signature dreamy sigh, "Jeremy... and he just moved... from San Deigo. And he's a surfer. He has these gorgeous pair of dark eyes..." Lizzie stopped when she heard silence on the other end. "Miranda?"  
  
"Oh yeah sorry Lizzie my little brother just came in for a sec. Keep going, dark eyes..."   
  
A little confused, Lizzie kept going. "We met at the park and it's like something hit me out of nowhere. And it's so funny that I was, like, thinking about love at the exact time I saw him. It's like the gods are rewarding me for dealing with... Matt." She completed.  
  
"That's great, Lizzie. It really is. But remember, don't rush too fast into stuff like this. Given your history, I would try to... restrain myself, just a little. Just so you don't get more hurt then you need to."  
  
"Yeah, It's like, when I fall, I fall hard. Maybe a little too hard. So enough about me, what about you?"  
  
"Ooh! My mom told me yesterday we are gonna come back to Hillridge around Thanksgiving! For good!"  
  
"Oh my goodness that's great!!" Lizzie squealed.  
  
"So now all we have to do, is stick it out for another couple monthes or so and I'll FINALLY get to see you."  
  
"Yeah I know! Oh sorry Miranda but I have to go. Dinner. Call me back later tonight, k?"  
  
"Alright." They both hung up. 'Man, I don't know why he even bothers...'  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Ok, Ok. So I changed my mind on the "not-having-Miranda" thing... I hope i did alright on this chapter.  
  
I have a rough idea about where this story is going. But the details, I'm making up along the way. Maybe you guys can IM sn: Springshowers31 me with helpful criticism and/or some help on the 'details'  
  
Chao! 


	7. Chapter 7

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 7.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
It was a Monday. Not only a Monday, but a dreary Monday comprised of on and off showers, forty degree weather (which is very cold of Hillridge in early October), and one hundred percent cloud cover. It seemed all the students were tired and grogy, as were the teachers.  
  
Gordo crossed the relatively empty hallways. All the bus-riding students had departed, so besides the building being empty, it was also quiet. Gordo had his bookbag and coat on as he was going through a side exit out of Hillridge High.  
  
The exit was at the end of hallway in the back of the building, between the auditorium and some classrooms. The only students who went there for classes were the drama and music students. As he pushed open the door, he heard some breathing and the faint call of his name.  
  
He turned around to the end of the hallway. Empty. He opened the door again.   
  
"G-G-Gordo-o-o." A quiet voice stuttered. He turned to his left and noticed a girl. She was a very heavy-set girl with brown hair in a pony tail. She had small beads of sweat on her forehead and she looked very fatigued. Her body lay limp, only supported by the wall. Gordo rushed to her side and noticed who she was right away.  
  
Danielle was teased tremendously for her weight, but did little to stop it. Everytime she ran in gym class, everytime she tried to squeeze her way into a slightly smaller desk, people snickered. He didn't know if she knew it or not. But the worst part was that most people couldn't even sympathize with her. When a fellow freshman died last year after being hit by a drunk driver, her and a couple of her "friends" were heard snickering in the back of the huddled mass that was gathered to dedicate a tree for him.  
  
Despite all that, he looked worried. "What, what's wrong?" He asked frantically, taking her hand into his.  
  
"I-I-I c-can't-t fe-e-el," she stuttered out then taking a breath, "m-my l-l-legs..." She stared blankly at Gordo's worried face.   
  
"Stay right here. I'll be right back." He then ran to the main office to call 9-1-1.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lizzie and Jeremy sat in the bleachers next to the track field, laughing. They were hacking out plans for next Saturday.  
  
"How about... hm bowling?" she suggested.  
  
"Bowling?" he asked questioningly. "Not very romantic if you ask me."  
  
"Well I didn't know romantic was what you were going for." She smiled at him.  
  
"Why wouldn't I want to be in a romantic place with you?" He said leaning closer, making her grin grow. She had no response. "There's no one I know cooler than you, or funner to be with, or..." By the time something in Lizzie's head clicked and recognized where she heard that before, she heard loud sirens pass the road. They were both snapped out of their gaze of each other as they saw the ambulance turn into the school parking lot.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I'm sorry sir but you will have to step back." The EMS man said to a running and out of breath Gordo, through a small gathering of students and faculty. They had all gathered at the sound of an ambulance.  
  
"Just.. What happened?" he said, trying to keep pace with Danielle's bed(sorry I didn't know the word for it... that bed on wheels that ambulances use).  
  
"Given you're description - slurred speech, numbness of limbs. We think she suffered from a stroke."  
  
"A stroke?" He stopped.  
  
"I do admit it is extremely rare in teenagers, but that's the most reasonable explanation and given her medical condition, it is possible."  
  
Gordo tried to keep up with the bed. Before they carted her into the ambulance, he looked at her so helpless on the bed and asked, "Can I ride with her?"  
  
"Sorry we can't allow that. But I'm guessing you can visit her at the hospital if you want."  
  
"Alright..." he sighed when he watched the doors of the back of the ambulance close. He seemed too concerned, too worried for someone who didn't even know her and especially someone who had a reputation as Danielle's. Some teachers and students took notice of Gordo's strange behavior, namely being one Miss McGuire.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ 


	8. Chapter 8 Just like the Movies pt I

Argg, I hate what I did with Jeremy. I wish I could've developed his character a bit more in past chapters. Well anyways, there are gonna be at least a couple more original characters. One's introduced in next chapter. Hopefully they'll be more multi-dimensional than the J-man.  
  
and I hope everyone had a very nice Thanksgiving!  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 8 - Just Like the Movies pt. I.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Lizzie got home that afternoon, visibly startled and even more confused. She, Lizzie McGuire, is the pushover of all pushovers, the most agreeable person all her friends and family know, the one who helped her enemy in times of need; and didn't even like Danielle. If anyone else was in that kind of situation, they would have just called for help, nothing more. Why had Gordo gone through all the trouble of worrying about someone who didn't deserve it?   
  
Sure, she felt bad for Danielle. It could be serious. She could become permanently disabled, mentally and physically. Maybe even die. Danielle didn't deserve it anymore than she did.Maybe this experience could open Danielle's eyes to the world she has been so cynical and cruel towards. It is, of course, in times of trial where someone's true nature shines glaringly through.  
  
"Like Gordo." She said outloud. "Yeah... like Gordo."  
  
She took a glance at her desk. Engulfed in random papers and notebooks, she noticed the small like crumpled piece of paper at the corner. She knows what it is. She got up from her spot on the bed and picked it up and reread it to herself. Lizzie smirked sarcasticly at the irony of the situation. Her persuit for goal number two had totally sidetracked her from goal number one. 'Funny how things work that way sometimes,' she thought to herself.  
  
* * * *  
  
Jeremy pulled into empty school parking lot. A heavy fog sat over Hillridge, impairing vision. Still relatively cool and dark outside, he put on his light sweatshirt and left his bookbag in the back seat. He stuffed the note in his back pocket. He walked over to the football field and scanned the bleachers for a figure. Finally spotting a body, he climbed the bleachers toward the slightly hunched over figure with a hood covering all of her face.  
  
She looked up and he slightly recoiled backwards in surprise.  
  
"Thought you'd never get here." she said, smiling.  
  
"But I-I don't get it. Why are you here? and how come this note says   
  
'Lizzie'?"  
  
"You were never the sharpest tool in the shed, Jerry." She said with a voice smothered in fake innocence and sincerity. He internally winced at the sound of her voice.  
  
* * * *  
  
Lizzie opened her locker and found neatly placed on top of all her books, a note. A plain piece of notebook paper probably ripped out from a notebook sat there. She opened it and read.  
  
"Lizzie,  
  
Sorry Lizzie, but I can't make it tonight to hang out. But hopefully we're still on for Friday.  
  
-Jeremy"  
  
Slightly disappointed, she put it in her bookbag. Seeing that her night had freed up, she decided this was the time she will finally talk and apologize to Gordo.  
  
* * * *  
  
Mr. Jefferson struts into class a few seconds after the bell rings calmly. He calls the attention of the class, most of which were cramming last bits of information for their quiz today.  
  
"Excuse me, class. I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is the quiz is reschedule 'til Thursday, I know, I know. You guys did all that studying for nothing. Well, onto the good news. The Social Studies teachers have decided on a field trip destination. We've decided on New York City. It's gonna be roughly three nights two days in late December or early January. This trip is open for all sophmores with a passing average in History." Some students groaned sarcastically. He laughed. "All the details will be hacked out soon. So permission slips should be out by next week." He folded his hands together in front of him. "Onto the lesson plan, then."  
  
She had tuned him out and focused on her very important doodle of what a dog would look like if one of its parents was an elephant. That is... until he said New York. She thought of romantic movies, like Serendipity. With thoughts of John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale skating around in the moonlit, winter New York night with snowflakes gently whirling around them.   
  
'New York in winter - does a more romantic setting exist?' she mused. 'Too bad Jeremy couldn't come.' She said continuing her doodling.  
  
~.~.~.~..~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ 


	9. Chapter 9

A major development in the story. THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS SPEAK... TO EACH OTHER!!! It's so amazing that I thought it needed mention. Happy readings!  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 9.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
  
  
The phone rang at the Gordons later that day.   
  
"I'll get it!" Gordo yelled downstairs. He picked up the cordless in his room.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Gordo!" a female voice screamed.  
  
He smiled. "Sorry Miranda. Could you speak up? I couldn't quite hear that last part."  
  
"Wow we spent way too much time together when I was there," she said.  
  
"Huh?" He said confused.  
  
"Nevermind." He just shrugged it off. "Hey Gordon, how's it hangin'?"  
  
"It could be better."  
  
"I see. I heard about Danielle. Is that what's wrong?" Miranda questioned.  
  
"Partly. It's just, Danielle's life is never gonna be the same. That is, assuming she'll live. I mean sure she wasn't in the best condition and I highly doubt I would have suffered a stroke, but... I'm not quite sure where I'm going."  
  
"I think I sorta get what you're trying to say. I guess now you finally realize how easily life escapes from us."  
  
"I suppose. Seeing her so helpless in that hallway, just struck a chord, I guess. And couple that with the fact that me and my best friend aren't even speaking... I feel sorta... bad?"  
  
"Nice choice of words there, Gordo." She giggled, lightening the mood. "Oh well, Gordo such is the nature of life. Lives are given and taken away. Loves are found and lost. Friendships gained, and then fade away into dusty records of time." She sighed.  
  
Gordo was baffled. "Where did THAT come from?"  
  
"I dunno. Sounds like something from a movie I watched last week though." She said blankly, "So anyways, what are you gonna do about Lizzie?"  
  
"I dunno. Ever since I got from my trip, it's just been awkward. Man, if I didn't tell her I would be speaking to her right now."  
  
"If you're really that bad off, just talk to her."  
  
"You know how many times I've told myself that. She knows she should talk to me, I know I should talk to her. It's just we're both too afraid to talk to each other."  
  
"You? You told her you liked her after like forever! You overcame that, much larger obstacle. Why not start a simple conversation?"  
  
"I told her THROUGH HER FATHER! I'm a whimp!"  
  
"Hm... You're right. Well anyways, while you baste in your own self-pity, I have a date... with my cousin. We're goin' out to eat. Hey before I leave, I should tell you that I'm coming back for good around Thanksgiving. Bye!" She rushed and hung up quickly.  
  
He stared at his phone and hung up. Not allowing him to think what exactly she meant admitting he was right, the phone rang again. 'Miranda again.' he assumed.  
  
"Hello?" he answered.  
  
"Hello?" He almost dropped the phone, his heart skipped a beat and his voice gave out. "Hello?" Lizzie's voice rung from the receiver of of Gordo's phone. He snapped back to reality and promptly answered.  
  
"Hey Lizzie," he spat out, not at all trying to hide his nervousness or eagerness.  
  
"Hey. I'm coming over now, I just wanted to know if you were busy or not."  
  
"No, not busy at all."  
  
"Okay... great!" she said. "I'll be there soon. Bye Gordo."  
  
"Bye." he said. The line went dead. He nearly ran to the closet, to change out of his sweatpants and wrinkled shirt he wore to sleep and into some nier clothes. Petty and superficial if he were someone else he may have scolded himself, but now was not the time for that. Lizzie's coming!  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
"What?! It's only been three minutes!" he said quickly putting on a pair of jeans. He sprinted his way to the door. He opened to find a girl, panting and had obviously been running. She put her hands to her knees and waited a moment to gather herself. She put her head down letting her dark hair cover her face. She took a breath.  
  
She stood upright to reveal her face. She was Asian and relatively tall, about Gordo's height of 5'8". She also had a thin face, surrounded with long, dark brown hair. Many girls envied her hair type - manageable, long, thick, and straight. She had no make-up on and seemed to have made no effort to look like a beauty queen.  
  
"Hi. I'm Lurlina Lee at your service." she stood upright and stuck out her hand for a handshake. Gordo did as such. "I don't believe we've met, Gordo?"  
  
"Yeah, it's Gordo. I'm sorry. Who exactly ARE you?"  
  
"Oh so sorry. I just moved in... about a month ago. Our parents met and they told me about you. OH! I just remembered," she said slapping her forehead, "My dog just ran into your yard through your fence. I couldn't jump the fence so I sorta need your help. You have time?"  
  
"Umm..." he looked to the road and looked left to right and back left. "Yeah, I have time. Come in." He motioned her in.  
  
As she entered, she looked about curiously at his home. There was a whole wall devoted to pictures of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon's precious son. Many of the pictures have two girls. One of the three as toddlers on the swings. Another of them at a birthday party of sorts. A wall full of pictures. Gordo spoke out, "Does he do this much, Lurina?"  
  
"You can just call me Lina. She smiled. "And I'm afraid so, Max is really energetic and I guess he broke from his leash when he saw a bird or rabbit or something."  
  
They quickly turned to the back door when they heard a faint bark. Lina and Gordo rushed to the back. Lina tracked the sound to a bush along the side of the house. She tried to move a couple branches to see, but immediately recoiled when she felt the tips of the leaves.  
  
"Who's bright idea was it to have a thorn bush?" she smirked jokingly. He just responded with a small laugh.  
  
He got down on his stomach to see under the tree. He saw a small white dog curled up beneath near the trunk. He tried to reach out, but his arms were too short.  
  
"Oh, you really didn't have to do that." Lina said sympathetically, watching Gordo get up and pick out the thorns from the sleeves of his shirt. She thought of helping him but instead she sat before the bush and stuck her leg beneath the bush. Her brow wrinkled a bit from the pricks. She tried to pacify the pup by shh's as she pushed him through the branches with her foot. She held him still while she picked out the thorns from his fluffy coat. "Thanks a lot for your help, Gordo. If you ever need anything, you can just come visit. I'll probably be home. Thanks again." She hit Max's snout. "And you, don't you ever do that again."  
  
"No need for thanks, I didn't really do anything."  
  
"Eh, so what if you didn't?" She laughed. "See you around. Should I just let myself out?"  
  
"Oh no, I'll see you out."  
  
"How very chivalrous."  
  
He opened the back door. "Yeah well, that's me. Good ol' chivalrous Gordo." He said as they both walked through the back door. "Want anything to drink?" He said motioning to the refrigerator.  
  
"Umm... water's fine." He got them both glasses of water and sat down at the kitchen table with Max on her lap.  
  
"How do you like Hillridge so far?"  
  
"Okay. Hasn't changed too much since the last time I was here."  
  
"You've been here before?"  
  
"Lived. I spent the first 10 years of my life in a house about, mmm... three minutes from here. Then I moved to Jersey 'cuz my dad needed a 'change'. And well, a couple years of begging on my mother's part, well, any man would break down. Don't ya think?" She smiled again. Gordo laughed and took a sip.   
  
"Well, enough about my boring life..." She got up from her seat, put Max on the floor, and headed towards the hallway. Both Max and Gordo followed her. She pointed to a picture in a golden engraved frame. "I want to know what this is about." Two year old versions of Miranda, Lizzie, and Gordo were on a floor large deck patio all huddled in a circle on their knees and puffed up cheeks, as if they were blowing at something on the floor.  
  
He chuckled. "Funny story actually. Those are my two best friends, Miranda," he pointed to the dark-haired toddler in the pigtails, "and Lizzie." he pointed again to the blonde in the overalls and french braids. "I think that was our first Fourth of July together. Me and Lizzie knew each other forever and we met Miranda at preschool. Anyways, we had this inexplicable fascination with bugs. Our dads thought this was adorable, but the moms were freaked out we were gonna malaria or something. So at Lizzie's house, while the dads were cooking and moms were talking, we would search the ground for flies, and we would all rush around it and start blowing 'til it flew away." Lina giggled and looked at Gordo, who was focused on the picture. "I remember right after this picture, Lizzie spoted what she thought was a fly and she started to blow it away by herself. Well, it didn't take her long to realize that she had just pissed off a bee. So she ended up getting stung on her nose and she cried. Miranda ran to get Lizzie's mom inside and I stayed with her," he paused for a moment. "I think it's here somewhere..." he said scanning the wall with his finger. "Here," he said pointing up at another picture of Gordo hugging a crying Lizzie with a swollen, bright red nose. He laughed at the picture.  
  
Lina just stared at him perceptively. "You like her don't you?" she said calmly.  
  
"Wow. I've known you for a whole ten minutes..." he started.  
  
"Oh I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have asked." she apologized quickly. She picked up Max and headed towards the door.  
  
"No, no. I was just gonna say how insightful you are. Well, if you have to leave, maybe I'll see you at school."  
  
"Yeah, maybe."  
  
He opened the door for her and none other than Lizzie was there. Lina looked at Lizzie, then at Gordo. She smiled knowingly. Lina quietly uttered a 'hey' in Lizzie's direction with a smile. When Lizzie was inside, Lina turned around briefly and gave Gordo a thumbs up when Lizzie wasn't looking.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
like the little "fly blowing" story? I visited my cousins over Thanksgiving. and no lie, my three baby cousins (all under 2 1/2 years) were actually doing this! it was SOOO adorable when they were celebrating when a fly flew away and their spit was all over the deck. CUTE!  
  
Just as reference. the name "Lurlina" means temptress? Any chance of a future different kind of L/G relationship on the horizon?? Maybe... Lina is sort of an anti-Lizzie, in a good way. They both are nice and fun-loving. Lizzie is more... superficial? Lina kind of reminds me of Miranda. Just my thoughts.  
  
I want to hear yours... click purple button and review!! 


	10. Chapter 10

Go download "Learning to Breathe" by Switchfoot RIGHT NOW! it's a good song AND it'll help with this chapter...  
  
Keep review guys!  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 10 - Reunited, at last.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Gordo gave one last look at Lina walking away, with mud and grass stains on her jeans, and shut the door behind Lizzie. Lizzie stood nervously, staring at her flipflops and shifting her weight between her feet.  
  
"What's up?" Gordo said, finally breaking the ice after a few seconds of uneasy silence.  
  
"Well..." she didn't know what to say. What was she supposed to say to someone with unrequited feelings for you and someone who you've avoided for almost a month? "How's Danielle?"   
  
"The doctors say she's in stable condition. They still need to run some tests and check up on her every once in awhile. She regained feeling in her legs, so that's a good sign..." he faded off. "Why are you really here?" he said with more curiousity than with spite.  
  
"I..." she stuttered and continued her glare at the floor. She could feel Gordo's eyes on her. Lizzie met his gaze and, with a hint of sadness in her voice, she manged to say something. "I need my best friend back..." She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She won't.  
  
Gordo felt what she felt. "Oh Lizzie," He embraced her and held her head to his chest (he had grown notably since freshman year). "I'm sorry I put you through that. I didn't mean to and honestly I would take it back. It was stupid and selfish. Sorry."  
  
She pushed him back a little. "Gordo, it wasn't your fault. I know you know it wasn't. It was totally mine. I don't know how to handle stress well. And... I just came to apologize. And among everything, I'm just sorry that it took so long to finally talk."  
  
"Lizzie..." He motioned her to sit on the stairs with him. She nodded and sat next to him on the third step of the staircase. "I want to put this behind us. I hope we're out of the woods with this and with a little time, we'll just be stronger friends." Gordo said reassuringly. Lizzie leaned her head on his left shoulder. "Do you wanna do something?" He suggested changing the subject to something lighter.  
  
"How 'bout a movie?" Lizzie answered. Whether either of them wanted to admit it or not, they still weren't okay. A cloud of uncomfortableness still loomed ominously over their heads. Movie was an ideal situation. A dark room and no need to force a conversation.   
  
"Sounds good to me. I know of a new theater they built about twenty minutes from here. It's supposed to be way bigger than the one near here."  
  
"Great. And there's a new Adam Sandler movie out. It looks good." Lizzie said. 'Good... comedy to lighten the mood.' she thought.  
  
"Alright, let me get my coat and I'll drive. You can get in the car if you want."  
  
In a minute, they were fully loaded in his relatively new Honda Civic. After a pulling out from his driveway, he turned on the radio.   
  
  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
Gordo carefully led a blindfolded Lizzie. There was a beautifully early June blue sky with fluffy clouds, almost calling out the soon coming of summer.   
  
She stumbled while coming off her porch. "Woah watch it." Gordo said as he led Lizzie to the driveway.  
  
"Seriously Gordo, what's this about? I swear, if Matt is at the end of this with water balloons, you'll be sitting in the emergency room thinking back on the times where you could walk."  
  
Gordo laughed. "No, McGuire. Nothing like that. Okay... stop" He pulled off her blindfold, reavealing the brand new white car in the McGuire driveway. "TaDa!"   
  
"AHHHHH! Oh my gosh!!" she shrieked. She ran to the side of the car and admired. He just stood at the top of the driveway, smiling, and looking content with himself.  
  
"You seem more excited than I was." he smirked, walking down to meet Lizzie, who had jumped in the driver seat.  
  
"You are so lucky. I can't believe your parents actually gave you a car for your birthday. I wish I got one..."  
  
"So, where do you wanna go?" he asked happiliy.  
  
"AHH! Anywhere, if I can drive." she asked and pouted.  
  
"You got it, Liz." She jumped in her seat with excitement and her excitement only seemed to grow when she turned on the ignition, and shifted gears, and pulled out of the driveway...  
  
After about ten minutes, they were on the open road. Lizzie was bopping along to a Jennifer Lopez song. Gordo just stared at her tenderly as she sang expressively. The wind roared through the small car and blew Lizzie's long hair into her face, but after a few wrestles with her hair, she gave up and just let her hair fly wildly around her head.  
  
After the song, she pulled over to the confusion of Gordo. "Your turn." she smiled.  
  
Gordo got out of the car and Lizzie slid over to the passenger side. Gordo pulled out and noticed Lizzie taking off her shoes.  
  
"What are you doing?" he said over the sound of blustering wind.  
  
"Calm down," she said peeling off her socks. She then crossed her bare, pedicured feet on the top of the dashboard.  
  
"*Must* you do that?"   
  
"Consider yourself lucky, Gordon." she said.  
  
"Why's that?" The wind was still blowing hard.  
  
"You know how many guys would want to have these feet," she wiggled her toes, "on *their* dashboard?" she joked. "And anyways, you should be proud I'm comfortable enough to reveal my feet in front of you." She laughed and continued to mouth the words of "Senorita", which was playing over the speakers.  
  
Gordo looked over from the road, and smiled at a totally relaxed Lizzie.   
  
"Whatever you say, McGuire." If there was any doubt in his mind on whether he loved Lizzie, it was extinguished by that look she gave him on that sunny June day.  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
(Cue Switchfoot music, readers!)   
  
It was dark out, and a full moon lit up the increasingly darkening heavens. It was relatively cool out. Gordo tapped the outside of the door along to the sound of the guitars that started to play. Lizzie just stared blankly to the passing houses, mentally debating when would be the most opportune moment to tell Gordo about Jeremy.  
  
*Hello, good morning, how you do?  
  
What makes your rising sun so new?*  
  
Both seemed in their own little worlds. Gordo's window was completely open and Lizzie's was half open, so a light breeze filled the gaping silence along with the sounds of acoustics on the radio.  
  
*I could use a fresh beginning too  
  
All of my regrets are nothing new*  
  
The song continued to play for a few seconds. Gordo looked like he was about to say something, but stopped. What's left to say?  
  
*So this is the way that I say I need You  
  
This is the way, This is the way,  
  
that I'm Learning to breathe  
  
I'm learning to crawl  
  
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall  
  
I'm living again, awake and alive,  
  
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies*  
  
The lead singer's voice continued to fill the void. Neither Gordo or Lizzie seemed to catch the lyrics and how close they actually were to the situation they themselves are in.  
  
*Hello, good morning, how you been?  
  
Yesterday left my head kicked in  
  
I never, never thought that  
  
I would fall like that  
  
Never knew that I could hurt this bad  
  
So this is the way that I say I need You  
  
This is the way, This is the way,  
  
that I'm Learning to breathe  
  
I'm learning to crawl  
  
I'm finding that You and You alone can break my fall  
  
I'm living again, awake and alive,  
  
I'm dying to breathe in these abundant skies  
  
So this is the way I say I need You  
  
This is the way, that I say I love You  
  
This is the way, that I say I'm Yours  
  
This is the way, this is the way...*  
  
The song continued for a little longer.  
  
"We're here." he said as he pulled into the pretty mostly empty parking lot in a shopping center. It was afterall, a Tuesday night.   
  
She shivered almost imperceptibly as she exited the car. Gordo seemed to notice and took off his jean jacket as they were heading for the entrance. Lizzie walked a little ahead of Gordo, so he tapped her shoulder and handed it to Lizzie.  
  
"You sure? I'm really not that cold." Lizzie said.  
  
"I'm sure. I don't need it. Plus, it would be un-chivalrous of me to not give it to you." he beamed.  
  
Still a little hesitant, she took the jacket and put it on.   
  
"You know," he said, walking side-by-side with Lizzie. They stopped and Lizzie muttered a 'MmHmm'. She tried to aviod eye contact. He noticed and he was a little hurt, but didn't force anything. He understood, for the most part. "When we weren't talking, I was so unhappy. Without you there, I felt a little piece of me leave. You should understand how much our friendship means to me. I don't want to ruin that. Not for anything."  
  
"I know what you mean," she agreed. "I just hope we'll make it... you know through this."  
  
"Don't worry about that. We will," Gordo said lifting up her head with is hand. A smile grew on his face. "And if we don't then Miranda will make us." She laughed. 'Is this the right time?' she thought.  
  
"Now let's go watch a movie!" she said grabbing Gordo's arm and dragging him across the parking lot to the entrance.  
  
'Later, I'll tell him later,' she thought. 'Yeah, later,' as if trying to convince herself.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Sorry if the song parts were really long. I know when I read I usually skip over those parts.. but hopefully it turned out ok. 


	11. Chapter 11

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 11.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Lizzie and Gordo stepped inside to a box office and looked at the schedule.   
  
"Looks like the next movie's at 7:30. Hungry? We have half an hour," he said looking at his watch.  
  
"Sort of. What were you thinking?"  
  
"There's a Subway, buffet, and a Burger King near here. We could walk to any of them."  
  
"Perfect! I so was craving a turkey sub today." she said before stepping ahead to the box office.  
  
Gordo reserved two seats for the 7:30 showing and they walked the short distance to the subway. The line was pretty long.  
  
"Great, just in time for the dinner rush." Lizzie's eyes got larger as she patted her pockets. "Uh oh..."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I think I forgot my wallet."  
  
"Oh, that's it? I was gonna pay anyways."  
  
She looked at her watch - 7:10 p.m. "You know, we may not make it. We don't have to eat."  
  
"Oh no you don't, Miss McGuire. We're eating and I'm paying. So choose what you want." Gordo commanded, forceful but not mean.   
  
'Classic Gordo.' Lizzie thought as she nodded. Something caught her eye. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw someone. But when she turned whoever she thought she saw wasn't there. She shook her head. 'Get a hold of herself, McGuire. He's sick.'  
  
"New bracelet?" Gordo's voice snapped Lizzie back to reality. He held up her right hand and looked at the silver chain with a star and heart charms attached to it.   
  
"Oh this," she hesitated to say whom she got it from. "Well, uh... I've had this for awhile. I just never wore it," She lied. She figured it still wasn't time for him to know.   
  
"Right..." he said dubiously. They stepped forward a couple feet. "You can tell me, you know."  
  
"I know I can tell you, if there was something to tell." They stepped forward another couple feet.  
  
"Hi! May I take your order?"   
  
Gordo looked up from Lizzie to order. "Lina?!"  
  
"Hey Gordo. What can I get you and the lady?" she said with a grin.  
  
Lizzie looked a little confused at Gordo, then Lina. "I'll have the turkey on white. Extra tomatos and pickles."  
  
"I'll have the Subway melt on rye and a large Coke." Lina wrote the order and gave the sheet to a tall 30-year-old man. Then, she started to spread mayonaise on the roll and put lettuce and tomato in as well. "You work here?"  
  
"Is he always this observant?" Lina asked Lizzie, pointing the bun towards Gordo.  
  
"I'm afraid not," Lizzie laughed. "I don't think we've formally met... I'm Lizzie. Lina, right?"  
  
"Yup. The one and only" She answered. Her eyes got even more smaller from her smile. She then looked back at Gordo, "What tipped you off? Was it the hat? Or was it the apron that did it? Or maybe the fact that I am behind the counter making food..."  
  
"Funny, real funny," he said.  
  
"Oh, I struck a nerve, didn't I? Well, I wasn't supposed to work today, but two people called in sick and one had an emergency. So they called me in." she said as she finished Lizzie's Turkey breast sub and wrapped it. The thirty year old handed Gordo's sub to Lina and she handed them both each of their respective sandwhiches. She pointed down the line. "You can pay down there. Nice to see you again, Gordo, and nice to finally meet you Lizzie. Have a nice night."  
  
When they got out of hearing distance from Lina, Lizzie whispered to Gordo, "I think she likes ya Gordon." She nudged his arm. She laughed.  
  
"What's so funny about someone liking me?" he whispered a little louder than Lizzie did.  
  
"Nothing..." she said, stopped laughing. "You guys would make a cute couple, except maybe if she wore heels to the dance, she'd be four inches taller than you." She started laughing again. Something inside her irked when she mentioned Gordo dating.  
  
"I'm still taller than you, aren't I?" he jested lightly.  
  
"Oh big whoop. You're taller than a girl, who by the way is due for a growth spur any year now."  
  
"Haha... right." They finally made it to the register. He paid and they decided to eat while they walked back to the movie theater. They made a light filler-type conversation on their way back. When they made it to the box office, Gordo got the tickets. They entered the hall in which other hallways with the actual theaters started.   
  
To say that that particular 'room' was huge would be an understatement. The ceiling was a large dome, from which posters from future movies were hung. The ceiling was at least thirty feet from the tiled floor. There were two mini-cafes on each side and an arcade where a few elementary school children were playing. There was a small line forming at the concession stand. They decided to sit at a table in one of the cafes to finish eating.  
  
"Hey, who do you have for Social studies?" Lizzie asked while paying most of her attention to chewing the large bite out of her sandwhich.  
  
"Kennedy. Why?"  
  
"Did she tell you yet about the trip?"  
  
"Not yet, where is it?"  
  
"Get this- New York!" she said almost knocking over Gordo's soda. "Won't that be great? You just HAVE to come. Maybe you'll meet a famous rock star that looks just like you! And totally fall in love..." She trailed off. She kind of didn't want to continue not only because it reminded her of Paolo, but Gordo falling in love was more than weird for her to say.  
  
He chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "What time is it?" he asked turning around in his chair for a clock. He noticed someone. He had to squint a bit to make sure, but that was definitely her.   
  
"Oh my goodness! Is that Kate?!" Lizzie almost yelled. Gordo was silent, turning back around to face Lizzie.   
  
"Lizzie, we can just ignore her and her evil make-up posse. It would just make this night go way faster."  
  
She sighed, "Fine." She sat with her arms crossed. "We should get our seats."   
  
They both stood up and headed towards one the five hallways that originate in the oversized lobby. She stopped and stared.   
  
"Lizzie, I told you. We could just ignore them." He said. Right after he said that, he saw tears well up in Lizzie's eyes as she stood there, frozen. He looked behind his shoulder. But the next thing he knew Lizzie was running out of the lobby. Before he knew it, he was chasing her down out of the door.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ 


	12. Chapter 12

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 12 - Laugh your troubles away.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
She briskly walked into parking lot. Gordo was calling out her name, but she acted as if she couldn't hear him. She kept her head down and wasn't walking in any particular direction. She kept his jacket firmly wrapped around her. It seemed to have gotten much colder, since they were last out.  
  
"Lizzie! Lizzie! I know you can hear me and I also know you aren't gonna get home if you keep ignoring me," he stated matter-of-factly.   
  
Lizzie collapsed to her knees, right there in the parking lot. She sat on her feet and let the tears fall onto her jean capris, making no attempt to stop them. Gordo lifted her up to her feet. She jerked away and wiped away her tears.  
  
"Let's go to the car." He took her hand. This time, she didn't bother to fight. They walked together in the silence of the night. And by the time they made it to the car, she stopped trembling.  
  
Gordo didn't bother to put the keys in the ignition. They just sat there. She would talk when she felt ok.  
  
In the awkward stillness, Lizzie tried to calm herself and Gordo stared at the steering wheel.   
  
"He-he.." she trailed off and gasped for breath.  
  
"Shh, shh. It's okay, just wait 'til you're ready," he comforted.  
  
"He... was there. Jeremy. He was there."  
  
"Who's Jeremy?"  
  
"Do you remember who was there?"  
  
"Kate, two girls and two guys."  
  
"The one with the dark hair is Jeremy." He tried to recreate the image in his head. Kate, then next to her was two blondes, and apparently their boyfriends.   
  
"Who is he?"  
  
"He is... he was my boyfriend," she finally spat out, saying 'boyfriend' like it was the most disgusting word in the whole English language. She didn't want to look up from the spot on her jeans that she had been fixated on the whole time.  
  
Gordo's face and heart fell, but he tried his best to hide it though. He should've guessed, so he really didn't have a right to be disappointed.  
  
"You know you could've just told me... It would have been a great conversation starter." He gave the tiniest trace of a smile, but didn't laugh. Neither did she.  
  
"I know I should've. But it didn't feel right before..." she managed to say through her remaining lingering hiccups. She leaned toward him and he adjusted so he could physically console her.  
  
"It's okay," he whispered as to the top of Lizzie's head. "You'll get through. You've been through way worse."  
  
"I trusted him. And now that I look back on it, I really have no idea why. After Ethan, after Ronnie, even after Paolo, you would think I would have learned my lesson about trusting people."  
  
He sat her upright, so he could look into her downward cast eyes. She brought up her remaining strength to direct her bloodshot eyes to Gordo's calm and comforting ones.  
  
"Your abililty to trust is one of your best characteristics. Don't let Jeremy take that away. You can't let this snatch that away." She looked away for a moment. "You might not want to put your faith where it doesn't belong, but promise me you won't lose that." He took a hold of her shoulders.  
  
"I don't know if I can do that, Gordo. I think emit some sort of aura that screams 'take advantage of me'. I need to learn how to fend for myself. I can't just go around trusting everyone I meet, until they end up hurting me." The image of Jeremy hugging and kissing the blonde flashed into her mind. She shuttered.  
  
"If your mind is set, I won't change that. I hope this just doesn't change the Lizzie McGuire everyone loves. Above all else, keep your heart." he requested.  
  
"You don't need to worry about that." She forced a small smile.  
  
He seemed satisfied. He started the engine and the radio started to play quietly in the back.  
  
"Do you want to go home?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then, where do you want to go?"  
  
"Anywhere," she said with no emotion, peering out the window introspectively.  
  
"Whatever you say," he said to an unattentive Lizzie while backing out of the parking space. He adjusted the volume just when the commercials were over.  
  
"This one's for old time's sake..." the male DJ trailed off, whistfully. "This one brings back memories."   
  
*Tale as old as time  
  
True as it can be  
  
Barely even friends  
  
Then somebody bends  
  
Unexpectedly  
  
Just a little change  
  
Small, to say the least  
  
Both a little scared  
  
Neither one prepared  
  
Beauty and the Beast*  
  
The song continued. Neither one bothered to change the station. She continued her deep stare in the dark sky. He managed to find his way to the freeway. Gordo briefly looked out of the corner of his eye. It looked like she forgot to blink with her continual gaze. She didn't seem to have looked at anything in particular outside or on the window, but rather like she was looking into a mirror of herself, like one of those eye tricks. You stare forever, trying to figure out just what you're looking at. 'What is she thinking about?' he thought to himself.  
  
The song ended and a short radio commercial came on:  
  
"You're listening to Y95. From Sacramento to Redding. From Napa to Stockton. We play continuous music. All day, everyday."  
  
The DJ followed, "You're listening to the best love songs, modern and classic. Now... a little bit of Savage Garden." The intro to "Truly, Madly, Deeply" played.  
  
A laugh came out of nowhere. For a moment, he thought it was a glitch in his ear or a stutter of the engine, but then it happend again. He turned to Lizzie.  
  
The laugh grew. He looked at her, half-worried, half-curious.  
  
"What's so funny?" he asked her. Her response was nothing more than a larger, louder laugh. She pointed to the radio and gasped for breath. She hit the dashboard in her hysterics. He felt a little awkward, but after less than a minute, her laugher caught on. After two or three whole minutes of gut-bursting 'I-think-I-peed-my-pants' howling and giggling, the song had ended and the laughter calmed down.   
  
Lizzie sighed and wiped her eyes dry. "My face hurts," she said, poking various areas of her cheeks.  
  
"I think I almost killed us twice." He also rubbed his eyes and struggled to take full breaths.  
  
"So, where are we going?"  
  
"You'll see," he responded, taking the exit.  
  
A few left turns and gas stations later, they came across a beautiful building. It was actually more of a greenhouse really. There was a small parking lot where he pulled in.  
  
"What is this?" Lizzie questioned.  
  
"A garden, indoors. I came across this about two weeks ago. I got lost and found this." She stood in awe. "Come on, let's go." He grabbed her hand and sprinted towards the door.  
  
They entered and found the receptionist desk. She greeted them and pointed them down one of the two hallways that diverged from the lobby. They said their thank you's and headed down the hallway. Ten feet later, they found a huge rainforest-like room, with roads interwining every which way between large trees, bushes, and other various plants.  
  
She gasped. "We don't have long," he said. "There's something I want you to see." He grabbed her hand one more and she smiled as she followed him. She noticed the large plants and beautiful flowers on the way.  
  
"Here," he said. She turned her head from a particularly large tree she had been looking at while they were running. In front of her was a 25-foot tree, sort of roundish shape and complete with small deep green leaves and pink-white buds.  
  
"Magnolias! Oh this was just what I needed! Thank you so much, Gordo!" She jumped and wrapped her arms around Gordo's neck. She released and stepped forward to touch the flowers. "Wow, I don't know how they keep them blooming this late."  
  
"I'm glad you like it."  
  
"Of course I would like it. I can't believe you remembered my favorite flower."  
  
"In this big ol' head, there's a brain." He tapped the top of his head.  
  
"That's nice to know," she was still looking at the tree.  
  
"Lizzie, I hate to bring it up," he started, "but I still don't understand why you couldn't tell me about Jeremy."  
  
She turned around. "I don't know, I honestly don't. Part of me was screaming to tell you, but something held me back. I don't know what. Just... something. I know it doesn't make much sense. I hope you understand."  
  
"I really don't, but that's okay. Oh, you should call you parents to say you're gonna be late." He took out his cell phone and handed it to her.  
  
"Good idea."   
  
Lizzie dialed the familiar digits to her home. "Hello? Yeah, can you tell Mom and Dad I'll be late?... umm hmm... around 8:30. Okay, bye." She hung up. "It was Matt," she notified Gordo and handed the phone back. He nodded.  
  
She stepped forward and put both of her hands on the railing. She seemed entranced again, but not by the tree. She had a blank expression on, but Gordo wouldn't have known, seeing has how he was behind her. She muttered something under her breath.  
  
"What was that?" he questioned, taking a step forward. He looked at her; she stared somewhere in front of her, but clearly not at the buds or leaves.  
  
"Nothing..." she said.  
  
"You wanna go?"  
  
"Sure..."  
  
* * * * *  
  
"A-a-ll-ll my-y-y li-i-fe, I prayed for someone like you-u," Lizzie sang with her invisible microphone, her bare feet crossed and kicked up above the passenger side airbag. "Come on, sing!"  
  
He sighed, defeatedly, as if he had no say in what he could or could not do. "And I thank God, that I, that I finally found you," he practically recited.  
  
"Oh come on! With some oomph this time!" she insisted, "A-a-ll my-y li-i-fe I prayed for someone like youuu," she sang even more expressively.  
  
"And I hope that you feel the same way too-o-o!" he sang, facial contortions and all.  
  
"By George, I think he's got it!" she giggled.  
  
"Yes, I pray that you do, love me too-o-o!" they sang together, though out of pitch.  
  
The continued down the mostly empty stretch of highway before them, temporarily forgetting all that happened that night, and for once, share a moment (or two) in total ease.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ 


	13. Chapter 13

It took a little longer than usual, but it's up! I kept revising.. and revising.   
  
Hmm... I didn't know that Lina came off as a bad character in the beginning.  
  
I think I'll be changing the story title for the millionth time... AH!  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 13 - Fireplace Confessionals.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
  
  
"HAHAHA!"   
  
The car stopped at a red light.  
  
"I can't believe you don't watch the Newlyweds, Gordo. What do you live in? A hole?"  
  
"Just because I don't spend every waking moment watching who Ashton pun' ked or who Britney is dating today, doesn't mean that I don't have a life."  
  
"Okay, whatever you say."   
  
By now the two had made their way to the local roads, not to far from Lizzie's home.  
  
Lizzie looked down at her hands. She was still wearing his bracelet. She started to unhook it from around her think wrist.  
  
"I knew it," Gordo whispered to himself.  
  
"What was that?" Lizzie asked, finally managing to remove the detested silver chain.  
  
"I said I knew that that bracelet was unfamiliar."  
  
She didn't seem to notice as she was rolling down her window. She wriggled her body, half way out of the window and hurled it towards the side of the road, filled with wildly growing vines and grass.  
  
"Yeah well, it doesn't matter now," she sighed, settling back into her seat.  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
"I'll pick you up tomorrow for school?" Gordo asked, as Lizzie stepped out of the car.  
  
"Sure," she answered, speaking through the open car window. He watched from the car until she had made her way safely into her home. She turned around and gave one quick wave goodbye and entered her home. When she was no longer visible, he drove the short distance to his home.  
  
  
  
* * * * *  
  
  
  
Gordo squinted in the dim porch light, trying desperately to find the right key from his chain.   
  
He ignored the rattling and clanking of the keys and grew impatient with the early fall air nipping at his arms. He finally pushed the door open to a dark, shadowed home.   
  
The Gordon residence was devoid of any particular fragrance, besides maybe a light scent of Pine-Sol, every now and then, seeing that his parents were always working, or on some trip for a seminar or lecture. They seemed to make some time for their only son though, trying their best to obviate any chance of raising a future patient.   
  
No homework. No projects. He didn't feel like watching TV, or going online, or watching a movie.   
  
So he settled on the idea to start a fire.   
  
Sure it was a little out of season, but Gordo couldn't remember the last time the spotless fireplace in the living room was used, or even touched. Despite the fact he had never started a fire, he figured, "How hard could it be? Little 7-year olds do it all the time in the boy scouts."  
  
  
  
After getting matches, twigs, a few large logs from the backyard, and his favorite mix of sixties music, he lit a match under the pile of lumber. The small flame went out. He lit another match, and it barely got underneath a single leaf before it too disappeared, leaving a thin, gray line of smoke swirling from the charred tip. This went on for a good two minutes.   
  
"Dad said I should join the Boy Scouts, but no-o-o-o I was too *independent*," Gordo muttered, starting another failed attempt at starting a fire. Frank Sinatra's classics played in the background.   
  
The door bell rang once.  
  
Gordo stopped from his botched fire-starting attempts and rushed to the door in his socks, slightly slipping on the wooden floor in the hallway and almost knocking over a few frames.  
  
Lina stood there. He was slightly disappointed; odd, seeing as he wasn't expecting anyone. She had an overstuffed book bag slung over her shoulders and donned a heavy jacket and sweatpants. Her ever-present smile wasn't plastered on her face now, but neither was a frown.  
  
"Can I use your phone?" she asked.  
  
"Sure." Gordo motioned her in.  
  
"Thanks," Lina responded, with a hint of subdued dejection.  
  
He stood awkwardly in the kitchen as she dialed her number, not knowing what he should do. He decided it was rude to eavesdrop on her conversation, so he went into the adjacent living room to continue his quest for a fire.  
  
He tried his best to concentrate on his match and twigs. However his ears couldn't help but overhear.  
  
"Hello? Look, Dan. Can you get out early and pick me up? It's kind of an emergency," she said in a hushed tone. A small beat passed; he could picture her nod along, "Oh, well... okay. See you later. Nevermind." She hung up. She spoke up and addressed Gordo. "Alright, thanks for the phone Gordo. I'll see you tomorrow at school, I guess. And good luck with your fire."  
  
"Okay, see you later," he said, standing up from his seat. He felt a little guilt creep up on him. "Wait. Do you want to stay?"  
  
She turned around. "Uhm, I kind of have to go," she said, more or less unconvincingly, at least to Gordo.  
  
"You don't sound too sure," he pointed out.  
  
"Well, I am," Lina said sternly. She opened the door and started to exit. She felt a hand grab her shoulder.  
  
Why was he being so persistent? He didn't know, but something inside him said she needed help.   
  
"Stay."  
  
She turned around and looked slightly defeated. She stole one more glance outside and closed the door behind her.  
  
  
  
"Well, I have to go to the bathroom real quick, so you can get comfortable in the living room and I can take your coat." She nodded along and headed into the living room.  
  
In a minute, Gordo transcended the stairs and into the living room where he was surprised to see Lina, tending to a fairly good sized fire and humming along to "Somewhere Beyond the Sea."  
  
"How'd you- Why'd you... How?" he stuttered, pointing back and forth from her and the fire.  
  
"Just something I picked up after many times around the campfire," she state, moving around a log in the fire.  
  
"You go camping?"  
  
"I haven't gone in awhile, but in my old school, where I went for elementary school, we took a lot of trips. It was a really small private school. Our fifth and sixth classes were combined and the class was 30 and considered big. So we took a lot of field trips to camping and beaches. I liked it. And plus, my grandpa likes to go camping and all that outdoorsy stuff." She smiled nostalgically.  
  
"There it is."  
  
"There what is?"   
  
"Nothing." He sat down by the fire.  
  
She shifted in her seat. "You don't think it's too early for a fire? It is only October."  
  
"Ah, this thing never gets used anyways. Might as well use it now."  
  
"I see." She kept poking at the fire with her right hand and hugging her knees close to her with her left.  
  
"Did you like your old school? The one you went to here?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I had my first friends there and everything. And probably the most influential teacher I had there." Her eyes didn't wander from the embers.  
  
"I had one so far too, my fifth grade teacher. What was your teacher like?"  
  
"She was kind of short, really smart. She was really honest and she was the first teacher that ever pushed me to do above my normal work. And with such a small group of people spending so much time together. I started talking more and getting more comfortable with myself. You know... and she just helped me."  
  
"I know what you mean. Ms. Cardigen was the best teacher I've had so far. Something about her said that she cared just a little more," he said. Lina nodded.  
  
"Yeah, I was lucky to have Mrs. Holt. I think I might've killed myself if..." She stopped, seeming to realize what she said. She obviously didn't mean for it to come out. He seemed to notice, but inquired anyways.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
She stared at the fire still, looking afraid to look him in the eyes. She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, debating whether or not and what to tell Gordo.  
  
"Just something stupid."  
  
"Right..."   
  
"So what set ms. Cardigen apart from all your other teachers?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I might just remember her class fondly."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Not completely sure," he answered, now joining in the poking of the fire. "Once, we took this class trip to the local science museum thing. We have one every year and I thought it would be business as usual. You go, you look, you eat, and you come back to school. Well I don't remember what we were looking at but it was something really, really weird. So me, Miranda, and Lizzie were standing there in front of the exhibit, or whatever. And the group moves along without us, because we weren't listening. So we keep staring for about two whole minutes until I realize the group isn't there anymore. So Lizzie freaks out, as usual. And we run around the whole floor looking for our class. Lizzie looked like she was going to cry, sort sad, but when I look back on it, it seems really funny. We eventually give up and sit down hoping someone will find us. It took about twenty minutes, but Ms. Cardigan found us. She comforted Lizzie and didn't even yell at us. She said we should pay more attention next time."  
  
"That was it? What a rip-off."  
  
"Hey! You didn't tell me anything. So I wouldn't talk."  
  
"Okay, okay. Fine," she gave in. "My fifth and sixth grade years were the equivalent of the 'terrible twos' everyone else had. I was basically a wreck and a ticking time bomb. She... was patient, more so than my parents and all of the adults in my life at the time. I eventually got over most of that stuff. Maybe I was lucky in a way, getting all that teenage emotional, hormone-charged phase out when I was early." She dropped her stick and started to pick at her nails.  
  
"I suppose."  
  
There was a couple moments of silence. She hummed along to "The Way You Look Tonight."  
  
"What made you come here? Did your phone not work?" he asked.  
  
"Well," she seemed to be debating in her head what to say. "I couldn't call from my house."  
  
"Why not?" his curiosity was slightly piqued.  
  
She sighed. "Maybe if I knew you better I would tell you."  
  
"At least tell me who was on the phone."  
  
"That was my brother. He had a 'hot date,'" she mimicked. "Loser..." she muttered.  
  
Gordo just laughed. "Where'd you want to go? I could give you a ride if you really need it."  
  
"I just kind of wanted out of the house, that's all."  
  
"When do you want to go back?"  
  
"Sure are inquisitive today. Aren't we, Gordo?"  
  
He let out a small chuckle. "I guess we are."  
  
"Well anyways, Sherlock," she continued, "I don't care when I get back. Just so long as my parents don't find out, which I don't think isn't gonna happen 'til morning."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"They're asleep," she quickly assured.  
  
"If you really need somewhere to sleep, you're more than welcome to the guest room. It's never used anyways."  
  
"Nice of you, but I'll pass. Sleeping in other people's beds is right up there in weirdness with putting underwear on twice and letting your dog eat stuff out of your mouth."  
  
"Thanks for that vivid and colorful picture."  
  
"Anytime, Gordon. Anytime," she laughed.  
  
"Besides, sleeping in the woods would be reminiscent to my early camping days."  
  
"You were going to sleep in the woods??"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"Seriously, you have to at least sleep in a house." She didn't answer.  
  
"So," she said, changing the subject abruptly, "what's up with you and Lizzie? I heard she has a boyfriend."  
  
"How did YOU find out? Geez, I didn't even know 'til today," he sighed. "Well, don't tell anyone, but basically she's not with him anymore, at least I hope not. She caught him cheating tonight at the movies after we ate."  
  
"Ah... the cheating boyfriend. Perfect time for, oh, I dunno, a BEST FRIEND, or something to swoop in there and get her to like this best friend," she laughed.  
  
"You would think so. But it's way too familiar territory. Lizzie doesn't like me like that. Something I wish I learned a while ago. I asked her and got rejected."  
  
"Ouch..."  
  
"The thing was that she never really 'turned me down'. We just kind of stopped talking for awhile. Which was totally stupid when I look back on it now."  
  
"So, what are you gonna do now?"   
  
"I don't know." He stepped back from the fire, but Lina remained firmly planted before the fire. He flopped his body on his couch. "But I seriously doubt I'll be asking her out in the near future."   
  
"Right..."  
  
"Now that I confessed my life story. It's your turn now, Little Miss Privacy."  
  
"Well, what do you want to know?"   
  
He tilted his head to his left, thinking. "Let's start with why you were going to the woods. Honestly."  
  
She, too, tilted her head, thinking. "I didn't feel like being in my house?" she responded, more as a question than an answer.  
  
He sighed heavily.  
  
"One thing you should know about me, Gordon. The fact that I'm not the most open person in the world. You should just accept it and move on."  
  
"Textbook."  
  
"What's textbook?"  
  
"You. You're scarred from something or someone and now that's left you a wreck..."  
  
"I'm not a wreck," she said quietly.  
  
"So are you admitting that you're scarred?  
  
"No." She turned to face Gordo.  
  
"Then why can't you tell me why you didn't want to go home?"  
  
"Because!" she said a little louder.  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"Forget it."  
  
"That's why you're always smiling, isn't it?"  
  
"Would you stop already? Geez..." she turned to face the fire again.  
  
"Why won't you tell me? Simple question."  
  
"I don't need your pity, that's why."  
  
"Well, if I guarantee that you won't get my pity, will you tell me then?"  
  
She sighed, partly in frustration, partly in exasperation. Lina muttered something close to a 'fine.'  
  
"My parents are fighting and they're getting a divorce. I overheard them from my room."   
  
He didn't respond. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn't.  
  
"If you don't want to go home, you can stay here."  
  
"No. But thanks anyways. My parents will be mad enough that I'm out now."  
  
Her head snapped suddenly at the sharp sound of tires screeching. She ran towards the front door and violently swung open the door.  
  
Lina ran towards the front door and violently swung open the door, letting in a rush of crispy autumn air. She stood there a second in a state of mild shock. Gordo stood behind her.  
  
"I should go, Gordo."   
  
After retrieving her bag and coat, she walked out the door, for the second time that day. He watched her through a side window, watching her climb dexterously up to her bedroom window and crawl in to her bedroom, out of sight.  
  
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~  
  
Boring? Too long?   
  
Please review. 


	14. Chapter 14

correction: Last chapter said something like 'the early fall air...' but it's actually in early October so it would be like... mid-autumn.

~springshowers

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Chapter 14 - A Confrontation and a Discovery.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Mr. Gordon, could you please come up to the board and mark the punctuation and grammatical mistakes?" Mr. Rosman bellowed, after scrawling down five sentences on the chalkboard. Mr. Rosman had a grey-ish white beard and had a freakish resemblance to Sean Connery. Gordo always laughed to himself whenever his English teacher would slur his s's. Gordo pushed himself off his seat to the board. "Now, while Mr. Gordon is revising. I have finished grading your poems, and I must say I am impressed." Gordo stifled a laugh. "Let me read you one...

"Sitting heavily in the silent forest,  
Fog smothered the crunching snow beneath my feet.  
With its extended gray overcoat,  
It covered the seeming barren trees.

I plodded through the woods  
Through the trees, through the fog,  
Not a single shard of light shone through  
'Beauty,' I exclaimed.

A sudden blinding light shattered the heavily thickness,  
The fog seemed to melt away, revealing what lay beneath,   
True beauty - vibrant colors of every kind clothed the naked trees,  
A picturesque azure sky lay on the horizon."

"Any thoughts, Gordo?" he said, turning from his seat at the corner of his desk in the front of the class.

'What is it? Pick on the Jewish kid day?' Gordo thought. "I like it. I could picture the surroundings by the words the poet uses to describe the trees and sky at the end."

"Well explained," Mr. Rosman said, turning to the class. "Any different views?"

Gordo returned to his editing on the final sentence, unable to see Lina raising her hand. She had transferred to a Honors English class late last week.

"Yes, Ms. Lee?"

"Well, I think there is an obvious metaphor between a walk in the woods and life. I see the 'gray overcoat' could be all the distractions and little things in life people base their lives on. And the blinding light... it could be an event, maybe a religious epiphany, that there is way more to life than the little things people get stressed out over."

"Very well thought out, Lina." He said, picking up the stack of papers, and handing them out to the respective students. A few students had their hands raised now, probably to respond to Lina's explanation.

Gordo dusted off his hands and walked back to his seat. There's no wonder why he enjoyed going into English class everyday. Getting to participate in deep conversations was engaging for him. His parents would have a field day with the conversations students have in here.

* * * * *

"Hey Lizzie. I heard it's 'Manager's special' today for lunch," Gordo said, walking up to Lizzie's locker. He promised he would me her there before lunch everyday.

"Ew... remember last year? The hamburgers?" she made a disgusted face, as she opened her locker. It was adorned with a couple pictures of the Three Amigos, a mirror, and a few notes she put up.

"How can I forget? Now, every time I go to McDonalds, I picture the cafeteria lady's feet. What's this?" He plucked off a piece of crumpled paper off her locker door.

"Oh... yeah well. A New Year's resolution of sorts."

"Find love?" he read off the torn piece of paper.

"Uh yeah," she stuttered, taking back the reciept from Gordo and putting it back on her locker door. She had torn off the top before meeting Gordo. "Let's get to lunch!" she said, mocking enthusiasm and shutting her locker.

Lizzie and Gordo got their lunches and walked to a table. When they sat down across from each other, he poked at his food, as he normally does.

"So what do you think it is?" she asked, taking a whiff of the mashed potato looking glob on her tray.

"I dunno, but it reminds me of the stuff that comes out of Tudgeman's pimples..."

"Ew!! Gordo!!" she almost screamed. She pushed her tray away from her.

"Sorry," he apologized, half laughing.

The cafeteria was a large, gray room, probably room to fit 500 hungry students. It goes without saying that it was ear-deafening.

Just then, Lina walked by.

"Lina!" Gordo yelled. She turned around. "Want to eat with us today?"

"Actually," she looked back, "I can't. Maybe later." She looked back from Gordo to Lizzie.

She walked away like the wind.

"What was that about?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh please, Gordon. Spare me," she said, exaggerating almost every word. "Something's up between you two."

"Believe me, Lizzie. Nothing's up," he assured.

Just then, Lizzie's eyes turned their focus to a blonde paying for her lunch behind Gordo (from her viewpoint). Lizzie felt her blood boil and her hand was clinched into a fist. Kate walked through the lunchroom, about to pass the table Lizzie and Gordo were sitting on. She looked up at Kate's overdone hair and make-up covered eyes. Her eyes narrowed, recalling the events of last night. Kate continued her procession and passed, oblivious of the vicious stare she was getting. Gordo stared Lizzie's now pale white knuckle and the evil look being emitted Kate's way.

"Lizzie, Lizzie. Don't flip. It's just Kate. Don't let her get the best of you." He tried his best to quell Lizzie, but she didn't turn her head for a second.

"Kate!" she yelled. Kate stopped for a second and looked around at the sound of her name.

"Lizzie, don't," he whispered.

"Kate!" Lizzie yelled again. This time Kate looked down at Lizzie. Lizzie slammed her open palms down on the table, startling Kate. "You..." Lizzie pointed her finger at Kate. Kate backed away slowly from an approaching Lizzie. Lizzie's demeanor changed. She transformed from a tame house pet to an angered bull, kicking up its heels and out for the blood of its tempter. Lizzie continued, "You... ruin everything. You are evil, Kate. I never wanted to admit it, but you are truly evil. You steal my boyfriend from right under my nose. You are conniving, selfish, and attention-seeking. You're probably not even that pretty, which is probably why you wear two pounds of make up on your face and you have to act like a slut. Were you born to a pair of psychopathic sadist? Because I swear you take pleasure in seeing other people suffer." Lizzie took a short breath.

By now, half the cafeteria was staring at the two blondes. Kate looked around, frightened still by Lizzie, but straightened her posture, trying to regain some of the self-confidence she had lost.

"Did Lizzie-wizzy lose her boyfriend?" she said, with mock sympathy and ignorance. She patted the top of Lizzie's head, almost provoking out the already fiercely agitated Lizzie.

"Shut up, Kate," Lizzie tersely spat out. She slapped away Kate's hand. 

Gordo looked up helplessly at the two, debating whether he should intervene. He decided to let Lizzie handle this, but if things get too physical he will intercede.

Some genius started chanting 'Fight! Fight!' so by now the whole cafeteria was in chaos at the chance to see the two brawl. The teachers who were monitoring the lunch period were searching the cafeteria to see where the confrontation was.

"Why, Kate? Why is it always me? Why must I always be the butt of your jokes and the receiver of all the humiliation you dish out? Huh? Answer me!" Lizzie almost screamed. The chants and taunts got louder.

Kate was scared, but tried her best to conceal it. "I still don't know what you're talking about, McGuire."

"Don't play dumb, although I do understand that it's hard for you to do," Lizzie smirked. "Jeremy and the girl. I saw you and your little posse at the movies last night. I know you had something to do with it. You always have something to do with it." Gordo got up from his seat and watched the spectacle. He wanted to go calm Lizzie, or at the very least prevent actual physical harm from Kate. He was soon joined by a couple teachers.

"Oh, him," Kate said, emphasizing 'him.' "Oh please, I didn't have to do anything for him to cheat on you."

"Liar!" she roared, almost throwing Kate off balance.

"No..." Kate started to say, but was interrupted by an abrupt shout. 

"Shut up for goodness sakes!" the voice cried again. Lina broke through a layer of people who had gathered around the two battling blondes. "You!" she pointed to Lizzie, "You should be thanking Kate. Thanking her for making you realize what a piece of garbage your ex was. This guy is obviously too good for you. Now will you stop making such a ruckus? Sheesh." Lina stopped her brief lecture and returned back to her seat, pushing through the crowd. Lizzie seemed to have calmed down and Kate retained whatever was left of her composure. The crowd around them slowly dissipated and the teachers escorted Lizzie and Kate out of the lunchroom. The lunchroom was still buzzing with the excitement of the almost brawl.

He looked back at Lina, quietly eating her lunch, as if nothing at all happened. Ten minutes down of lunch, still a whole half hour left.

* * * * *

Lizzie stepped out of the office, and was greeted by an awaiting Gordo.

"How was it?" he inquired.

"Not so bad. She said that they have to call my parents, but no suspension," she said, walking down the hallway to her locker.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "So," he started, "what was the point?"

"Point of what?"

"You know what."

Lizzie thought for a moment. "Kate thinks she's the greatest thing to ever step into Hillridge. She thinks she can take advantage of everyone around her and hurt everyone without a fight."

He nodded. "Well, I have to go, Lizzie. So see you after school," he said, waving goodbye.

Lizzie walked the rest of the way to her locker to gather her books. She spun the lock, letting the numbers twirl around. She opened the door to find a note.

She sighed heavily. For a moment, she wanted to take it into her grasp and crush it, burn it, and then burn the ashes. But she decided to read it anyways.

The carefully folded piece of paper was sitting perfectly on top of her books. A pearly white magnolia sat in front of the note, which had "_Lizzie_" inscribed in cursive on the front. 

'Jeremy didn't know my favorite flower,' she thought to herself, as she took in the light scent of the flower.

She picked up the letter as if it were going to fall apart if it were dropped or handled without the utmost care.

"Did my heart love till now?   
Forswear it sight,   
For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night,"

Since this is a love letter,  
I found it only fitting to quote the greatest love story of all time.

She stood for a minute, just staring at the piece of paper. This was definitely not Jeremy's doing.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry for the wait. And even sorrier for this less than mediocre chapter i came up with in the long wait.

random Question: Who does Miranda make the best pairing with? A.) Larry, B.) Matt, C.) Ethan, D.) Gordo, E.) Other 

Okay, so far, I don't really have a plot...yet. but I'm getting there. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~. Chapter 15 - A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma .~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

__

Ring ring

"Hola?" a female voice answered.

"Hello? Mrs. Sanchez? Is Miranda there?" Lizzie asked.

"Oh, yes Lizzie." Lizzie heard rustling of papers and a muffled 'Miranda!' being yelled in the background. Then loud footsteps could be heard banging in the background.

"Lizzie?"

"Hey Miranda."

"Hold on, Liz." Miranda covered the receiver with her palm and yelled to her mom to hang up the phone downstairs. "Okay, what's up?"

"Oh my goodness, Miranda, only everything in the world! You missed so much!"

"What?" Miranda said, confused and anxious to hear all about it.

Lizzie took a deep breath. "Okay, well it started last night. And you know how I went to Gordo's to apoligize? Well, I went and we decided to watch a movie. So, we went and after we ate, we went to the movies, and we saw Kate. And guess who was there?"

"Who!?"

"Jeremy."

"No!" she said, in disbelief.

"Yes! And he had his hands all over this girl," Lizzie said disgustedly. "So me and Gordo left. I don't think anyone saw us."

"So..."

"So, he drove me home."

"And..." Miranda said, with expectation in her tone.

"And nothing."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean 'that's it'? Anyways, it isn't."

"So today, me and Gordo ate lunch together... sorta. And I saw Kate."

"Uh huh..." Miranda said, itching to find out what happened.

"Well, I just totally flipped out on her. It's like all the stuff I wanted to say when she would talk to me in that annoying condescending voice of hers. All the stuff I would say after she turned her back."

"Sounds exciting. Oh, did you hit her?!"

"Miranda, even when I get mad, would I ever hit someone?"

Miranda sighed heavily. "I guess not."

"And the story isn't over."

"What? There's more?!"

"Yup. When I got out of the office,"

"You were called into the office? You weren't, like, suspended or anything, right?"

"No, if I was I would've told you. So anyways. When I went to my locker, I found this note." Lizzie opened her book bag and retrieved the letter. She then recited the contents.

"Awww! Wait, it's not from Jeremy, right?"

"I don't think so. Jeremy didn't know I liked magnolias."

"Well, it could be a coincidence that he chose magnolia, maybe he just picked a random flower."

"Still, reciting 'Romeo and Juliet' doesn't seem his style."

"So, who do you think it is?"

Lizzie hesitated a bit. "Who do you _think _I think it is?"

Miranda let out a small laugh. "Did you say anything to him?"

"No, I didn't want to put him on the spot or anything. He was supposed to drive me home today, but he was called in to tutor last minute so he couldn't. It's sorta a good thing. I don't know if I could stand a whole car ride with him."

"You still don't like him?"

"Uh... I dunno."

"So that's a maybe?"

"It's a 'I don't know'. That's what it is."

"Maybe?"

"Fine, it's a maybe," Lizzie sighed.

"What caused the change of heart?"

"Nothing! I didn't have a change of heart. I don't even know if I like him!"

"If you say so."

"I _do_ say so."

"Aw, man. I really wish I was there, man. Mexico's so boring!"

"Well, at least you'll be coming home soon. Right?"

"Right. Hey Lizzie, don't you think it's weird that Jeremy didn't call you or try to talk to you yet?"

"Actually, I didn't give it much thought before. But hey, the farther that slime stays away from me the better."

"I totally agree."

"Sorry, but I have to go. I have to go to the library now. Bye!"

"Okay, bye."

* * * * *

"Arg, how stupid am I? I have this major paper due tomorrow and I save it at school," Lizzie muttered, stepping out of the car. Luckily, the car wasn't being used, so her mom let her take it to the school.

She entered and the light scent of musty books met her as she opened the door to the school library. She showed her school ID and the old librarian pointed her to her computer.

Two minutes later and Lizzie had her paper completely intact and in hand. Since she was here, she might has well pick out her book for another report due in a few weeks. She sighed heavily. It seemed like all the teachers were anticipating the break and were trying to cram all important projects and tests before the Thanksgiving break, despite the fact vacation was over a month and a half away.

She headed for the non-fiction section and skimmed the quick selection of fiction books her school library had. The rows of the library were not too much unlike her middle school's. Large book cases that extended just a couple feet to the ceiling formed numerous gray rows. Every few rows, there would be four tables where students and faculty alike would work, or grade papers.

She was in the "M" row, meaning all books authored by people with a last name starting with "M."

Millay... Miller... Milton... Mistral... Mitchell. Mitchell?

She picked up the rather bulky book. 

"'Gone with the Wind', huh?" she read the title. She flipped to the inside cover to read, but was stopped short when she heard voices from the neighboring row.

She closed the book, with her finger placed between the front cover and the first page, and she listened just stood, leaning slightly towards the bookcase.

"Okay, now. If two times three is six, than what's two times four?"

"I don't know!" a small voice said exasperatedly.

"I remember my times tables," Lizzie reminisced to herself. She moved a few books silently, so she could see the third grader, impatiently holding up his head with his fists. "Hey, it's Gordo," she said again, seeing Gordo thinking to himself.

He tapped his pencil against his chin.

"Okay, Nate, let's start over. Do you know what the times tables are?"

"Hard," the boy muttered. Gordo chuckled.

"Do you remember when you learned to add?" Young Nathan shook his head, staring at the table and playing with his pencil. "Well, multiplying is, like, speed adding."

"Speed adding?" the student said dubiously.

"What's three plus three plus three plus three plus three?"

After a second of counting a few fingers, Nate gave up. "I dunno."

"Well, wouldn't it be shorter just to say three times five?"

"I guess," The two continued the lesson for a few more minutes.

"Gordo always was good with children." Lizzie snapped out of her semi-trance, put the book back on the rack, and quietly exited the library, trying her best not to be seen. She merely sat in her car, thinking with the radio quietly humming in the background.

A secret admirer. Gordo. Confusion galore.

* * * * *

__

Ding dong. 

She waited impatiently at the door, tapping her left foot against the doormat. She heard footsteps.

"Kate?"

"Hey, long time, no see," she answered.

"Haha, yeah long time. Here come in."

* * * * *

__

Creek creek. Tap tap. 

Gordo stepped out of his car with a McDonald's hand firmly held between his lips, a soda in his right hand, and his book bag slung over other shoulder. With one last sip, he dumped the slightly crushed paper bag and now empty cup into the dumpster, remembering to hold his breath so the stench of the garbage doesn't seep into his olfactories.

He had just returned from a visit with Danielle at the hospital after his session with little Nate. She was in stable condition and she announced she would be able to come home in three days. So needless to say, she was more than happy.

__

Creek creek. Tap tap.

Creek creek. Tap tap.

"Huh?" He headed towards the Lee's backyard, which was not surrounded by a fence like his own was.

Out of earshot, all he saw were expressive hand gestures and Lina pacing back and forth on her wooden patio. Her glare didn't leave the book she held above her shoulder and her voice was getting clearer as he kept moving.

"So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title." Dramatic beat passes. "Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myse-" She turned around to the sound of applause.

"Gordo! You scared the bejeezus out of me!"

He shrugged. "Practicing your oratory for class, fair Juliet?" Her momentary shock gave way to a hint of embarrassment.

"Why, good sir, I am," she said, curtseying.

It was almost dusk; the light was on and provided a fair amount of light on the back yard. The shadows covered the crevices of her face.

"And how are you doing with your own, Romeo?" 

Gordo stuffed one of his hands in his pocket and the other ran through his dark curls. "Actually I got most of Benny's part in Scene II pretty much down." 

"So, why are you here?" She took a step back onto the porch swing and set her book down next to her.

"I dunno. I heard something," he started, "and I was just curious I guess. But while I'm here. I want to tell you something."

"Is it about lunch? Because you know, it was no big deal. You know, all that fighting and all. Kind of, weird," Lina managed to say, with a pretty good bit of difficulty.

"Yeah, weird," he said quietly while he stepped toward the seat. He plopped down on the cushions. He let out a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?" He laughed harder.

He lifted his hand in a overly exaggerated thespian manner, closed his eyes, and spoke. 

"Romeo! Doff thy na- oof." He was interrupted by a quick jab in the stomach.

"Shut up," she said jokingly. She waited a few moments. "Do you know Kate well?"

"Uh, I suppose you could said that. Kate used to be our friend, until she figured she was too good for us and traded us in for the now infamous makeup posse."

"How strange. Me too, well except for the part after the 'she was too good for us' thing. But I used to be friends with her too." 

"Talk about a small world."

"Well, not that small. She used to live in my neighborhood and she was one of my few real friends," Lina explained. "Well, back then little kids were mean little things! They would absolutely scar me for life about my eyes or hair, until Kate came. Then she would belittle them and protect me. Maybe not so nice now that I look back on it, but back then it's as if she saved my life, which would be kinda true. Okay, rambling again. Sorry."

Gordo was listening, but waited a moment before he said anything. 

"Well that's pretty cool. I should go. Practice or... some-" He stopped. "Did you hear something?"

"Uh, no... but I should go in too."

"I could've sworn I heard something crash."

"Well, I didn't hear anything. So I'll see you tomorrow," she said, while stepping backwards towards the screen door. She pulled the door behind her. And he swore he heard another crash as he was headed back toward his house.

The sun was a deep crimson and the moon was a faint figure in the blue sea opposite the dying sun. A few clouds were on the horizon, but one in particular, which nobody noticed, was an oddly-colored, murky, almost threatening, gray. It drifted along the horizon, and soon dissipated as if it decided not to stay together anymore.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

So ends "part one" of this story.

I was actually thinking of just completely skipping this chapter, but I obviously didn't.

Keep an eye out for chapter 16!


End file.
